The Christian's Wake Up Call

Illustration:

First two years of marriage, did not hear the alarm, was in a rush to get Catrina to work, hit a curb, popped the tire…made us even later.

- “Awake” actually means: to sleep off a drunken fit or to sober up

So it is this admonition that our message will focus on, THE CHRISTIAN’S WAKE UP CALL.

(1) Understanding the need for the wake up call for the Corinthian Christians (v. 29 - 34)

The passage breakdown: (i) implication (v. 29); (ii) implication #2 (v. 30 - 32) (iii) alternative (v. 32d - e)

Resurrection means endless hope, but no resurrection means a hopeless end— and hopelessness breeds dissipation. Barrett (1968: 362) comments, “Take away the resurrection and moral standards collapse.” - Garland, David E.

Garland, David E.. 1 Corinthians (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) (Kindle Locations 16507-16508). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

The passage commands (two) (v. 33 - 34)

COMMAND#1 (V. 33)

Not a passage about bad friendships. Context is quite specific.

Who are they? -

Should the believers excommunicate? NO

What makes this a moral problem?

“evil” is what destroys (ruins) “corrupts” - ;

“good” is what builds up the other person in Christ

Summary within the context:

In this context "good" is what they would be doing to others by telling them about God. This then would place evangelism within the category of one's moral obligation.

"Evil" or immoral teaching about the bodily resurrection of Christ subverts or destroys the mind of Christians and leads them to the immoral activity of withholding the knowledge of God from others.

COMMAND #2 (V. 34)

The Christian’s Body

Bodily resurrection of Jesus = concrete (not only abstract) redemption

Body does matter to Jesus

Highest moral good = Body used for preaching gospel

The Christian’s Shame (v. 34)

It is ignorant to think that salvation is only spiritual

It is immoral to not give out the gospel

(2) Understanding the basic principles that call for this wake up call (v. 29 - 34)

The bodily resurrection gives meaning to our physical lives (v. 29 - 32)

The bodily resurrection gives mandates to our physical lives (v. 33 - 34)

ILL: Documentaries of Karl Marx, Fredrick Nietcshe, and Sigmund Freud all revealed men who cast off the Christian religion at young ages, men who sought meaning in life, men who were looking for purpose....and today, we have people who actually call themselves Christians, yet they live immorally, in the sense that they are spiritually lethargic; spiritually drunken. Paul uses a similar exhortation in

(3) Understanding what these basic principles tell us (at Grace) about this wake up call

If Jesus has indeed bodily risen from the dead, then we must heed His command to us regarding how our bodies are to be used.

The exhortation then is that we see the bodily resurrection as that which calls us to yield our bodies for the express purpose of the moral good of others....

Primarily helping others to have the knowledge of God.

What would happen if retirees woke up each morning and believed again the following: “This body belongs to the Lord, and He wants me to use his body to spread the knowledge of God today.”

What would happen if teachers, doctors, nurses, homemakers all had this same conviction????

What would happen if days like April 14 were not just another Outreach event but they were opportunities for me to do with this body what God has commanded me to do?

What would happen if we really believed in the bodily resurrection of Jesus?

(4) Understanding how Christ-centered these principles for the wake up call really are

Jesus Christ spoke of his death/resurrection in plain terms -

Jesus Christ spoke of his necessity to die/rise according to what was written -

This then gives meaning to phrases like what Paul says - “I die daily” - ;

Galatians 2:20 KJV 1900

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

A life of faith in Christ means that I have believed in what Jesus Christ has done completely, and this compels me to live according to what Christ has done physically.

Conclusion:

(5) Understanding how Christians must not sleep-in during this wake up call

Illustration: Don’t hit the snooze button

Three ways that Christians today tend to hit the snooze button:

(1) We see our salvation as something spiritual and don’t see how it relates to the physical.

(2) Morality has been made to be about something that we are to prevent from doing rather than proactively do.

(3) We don’t sense any shame for our immorality.

Decisions:

We need Christians who are going to respond to the “Wake up Call” - Will you do so today?

We need Christians who are going to be awakened to the shame of immorality. Will you stop hitting the snooze button?

We need Christians who are not going to be so gullible to things that keep you from giving Christ to others. Will that be you today?

We need Christians who are going to see the purpose of their physical existence as that of glorifying God in their bodies by spreading the message of Christ. Will that be you today?